She died of heat stroke in Arizona.
It was a devastating end for a six-year-old, who may have dreamt of a new life in a big city. Gurupreet Kaur from Punjab, India, who made the treacherous trek, along with her mother, from the southernmost border to infiltrate into the US, died of heat stroke during the extraordinary journey the family undertook. Ever since the tragedy, Gurupreet’s parents have been quietly grieving. Now together for the first time since 2013, they are preparing for the funeral of their little daughter.
Gurupreet’s mother, identified as S. Kaur, 27, was released from the Eloy ICE processing facility on her own recognizance under ICE supervision on June 18. She was permitted to travel by bus from Arizona to New York City, where her husband is lawfully residing.
Gurupreet’s father, identified as A. Singh, 33, has been in the United States since 2013 with a pending asylum application before the New York immigration court. Ms. Kaur has been moved to New York and she has been issued a notice to appear before an Immigration Court, but no dates have been given at this moment. Her venue has been changed to New York. Mr. Singh and Ms. Kaur had not seen each other since 2013, approximately six months after their late daughter Gurupreet was born.
The body of Gurupreet Kaur is being flown to New York City for the funeral, which will be held on Friday, June 28, in the city her family hoped to make their home. Due to the sensitive nature of the situation, the service will be closed to members of the media.
Gurupreet’s parents, both of whom do not speak English, have for the moment requested privacy and are not talking about the matter besides the statement they issued through their attorney earlier in the week.
The statement read: “Our family is heartbroken by the loss of our daughter, Gurupreet Kaur. As we grieve, we please ask that you respect our privacy during this deeply painful time. We wanted a safer and better life for our daughter and we made the extremely difficult decision to seek asylum here in the United States. We trust that every parent, regardless of origin, color or creed, will understand that no mother or father ever puts their child in harm’s way unless they are desperate. We will carry the burden of the loss of our beloved Gurupreet for a lifetime, but we will also continue to hold onto the hope that America remains a compassionate nation grounded in the immigrant ideals that make diversity this nation’s greatest strength.”